


Snowstorms and Tea Parties

by Julieoftarth (Wherethereissmoak)



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-19 09:16:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13120725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wherethereissmoak/pseuds/Julieoftarth
Summary: Jaime has no idea why his brother Tyrion sent him to an inn in a small town, maybe it's because he's overworked and depressed. But he runs into the woman he loved and lost, his brother's motives suddenly become crystal clear.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Isola_Caramella](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isola_Caramella/gifts).



> This is for the Secret Santa Fic in the J/B fandom for IsolaCaramella. Her words were snow, cabin and tea. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“I’m sorry, folks, it looks like we are snowed in. City officials don’t think that the snow plows will get out until tomorrow morning at least.”

The entire crowd gathered in the front room of the inn groaned. The inn was overbooked and crowded, and they would all be stuck here together overnight. People were fighting over rooms, angry shouts filled the air as tensions were high.

Jaime Lannister cursed his brother for sending him on this trip in the first place. Declaring that his older brother needed “relaxation,” Tyrion had told him that he had booked a room for him for the week in a small town in the mountains, far away from the family business.

Sure, his father had been putting a lot of pressure on him lately to settle down and carry on the Lannister name. And he had been putting in 80 hours a week at the office to avoid the crushing feeling of loneliness whenever he had downtime.

But he could not move on from _her_ , even though it had been almost six years. No amount of nagging from his father would make him try to find another person to marry. And no weeklong vacation in the middle of nowhere was going to get his mind off of things.

But he had come anyway. Just to get Tyrion to shut up. Plus, there had been something in his brother’s expression that pleaded with Jaime to make this trip that he just couldn't figure out. Almost desperation. And now it seemed he would be staying longer.

He grabbed a phone and dialed the man in question. “Were you so anxious to get rid of me that you prayed to the snow gods to keep me away for even more days?”

Tyrion chuckled into the phone. “Did you do anything on your trip other than drink and sleep the days away in your room?”

“You know me too well, brother.”

Tyrion sighed into the phone. “Please tell me you walked around the town a bit, met some of the locals?”

There was something different in Tyrion’s voice that Jaime couldn’t decipher.

“No, not really.”

“I heard there were cabins all around the inn, that some of the workers live in throughout the year. Any chance you went exploring around the grounds?”

“Why are you so obsessed with me getting to know this place?”

Tyrion hesitated. “Um, no reason. Just please try, Jaime, for me.”

“No reason? You have got to be kidding me. It would help if you told me what I was looking for.”

“You’ll know when you see it.” Tyrion was not usually this vague, and he was starting to annoy Jaime.

“You’re not going to give me anything more than that?”

“Nope.”

“Well, then I’m not going out of my way. And it’s not like I can really leave right now anyway, snowed in, remember?”

Tyrion sighed. “Just keep it in mind, Jaime, that’s all I ask.”

Jaime rolled his eyes at his brother’s persistence. “Whatever you say, Tyrion.”

After hanging up the phone, Jaime patted his pocket to make sure his room key was still secure. He didn’t need to fight with the crowds at the front desk for the few rooms available if he hung onto his key. He briefly considered grabbing another bottle of wine from the bar and going back to his routine of drinking and sleeping, but his brother’s words had taken some of the joy out of those activities.

Jaime’s thoughts were interrupted by a giggle that sounded in the next room, in the sitting area of the inn. He followed the sound to see a little girl hosting a tea party with her dolls and teddy bears. From the back of her head, she reminded him of his sister when she was just a girl. He brushed memories of Cersei aside.

The little girl laughed with her toys and carried on a very detailed conversation with them. Jaime couldn’t help but smile. The smile froze on his face when the girl turned to look at him. He gasped and grabbed the chair in front of him to keep him upright.

The child looked EXACTLY like pictures he had seen of his mother at that age, with one exception. Two sapphire-colored eyes looked back at him. Jaime had only seen that shade of eyes on one other person, the woman he loved. The woman he lost. He kicked himself for not following Tyrion's advice and exploring this place earlier. 

“Hi! Are you stuck here because of the snow?”

Jaime gulped and nodded. “Yes, are you?”

“Nope, my mamma helps in the kitchen on the weekends, so we get to live in the cabins in the back. She watches over the parks during the week.”

Jaime crouched down, so he was on eye level with the girl.

“And you're having a tea party while she’s busy?”

“Yep, do you want some?”

He sat down on the floor next to the girl. “Do you regularly invite strangers for tea?”

“Oh, you’re right. Mamma says I shouldn’t talk to strangers.”

He held out his hand to her. “Well, my name is Jaime, it’s nice to meet you.”

The little girl’s eyes widened. “That was my daddy’s name.”

Jaime’s heart clenched. He had known the moment he saw the girl’s face, but hearing the words made it sink in. When Brienne Tarth ran from him all those years ago, no, when his family chased her away, she had taken so much more with her.

Now, Tyrion’s reasons for sending him to this town became crystal clear. He didn’t know how his brother knew about this, but he would be eternally grateful for sending him in this direction.

“Are you okay? You look a little sad.”

“No, I’m okay, sweetling. Just happy to be joining this fine tea party. Now you know my name, what’s yours?”

The girl smiled at him. “It’s Catey.”

Jaime could only guess her full name was Catelyn, because of course Brienne would name her daughter after the Stark matriarch. If they were still in a relationship, he would have japed her about it. Gods, he missed getting a rise out of Brienne – both in anger and in passion. Frankly, he just missed Brienne.

And just as he was thinking of the woman in question, she appeared, as if by magic. “Catey! It’s time for dinner!”

Brienne froze when she saw him sitting next to her daughter. “Jaime…” she whispered.

She looked exactly the way he remembered her – tall and noble, her bright eyes shining with a thousand emotions all at once. Legs for days. Gods he had loved her, and he loved her still.

“What are you…how did you…”

Though his heart was beating rapidly in his chest and he was terrified that if he said the wrong thing, he would lose her again, Jaime couldn’t help the smug grin that took over his face.

“Hello, wench, it seems we have a lot of catching up to do.”

As he smiled and looked between the love of his life and his daughter, Jaime could only think that he’s never been more grateful for a snowstorm.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne's POV on running into her baby daddy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas lovelies! Hope you all have a wonderful day. And enjoy this tropey goodness!

Brienne wiped her brow, knowing full well there was probably a smudge of flour on her face now. She helped in Hot Pie’s kitchen at the inn on weekends, and in exchange the owner let her and Catey in one of the cottages rent-free.

That, combined with her wages as the sole park administrator for the city, allowed them to have a pretty nice life for themselves. Maybe not what her father had always dreamed for her, but nice nonetheless. And it’s not like her father had envisioned her becoming a single mother either, but he had doted on his granddaughter before passing away two years ago.

Now it was just Brienne and Catey against the world. And that was the way she wanted it to stay. Her heart clenched for a moment as her mind wandered to Jaime, as it did several times a day. But she pushed those thoughts aside quickly. If she dwelled on them, she would be let herself get into a spiral of grief. Thoughts of Catey’s father had intensified in the past few weeks after Tyrion Lannister had stopped into their town when his tire got a flat on a road trip. They had bumped into each other in the coffee shop.

Brienne had dropped her coffee. Tyrion, being one of only two tolerable Lannisters, had been pleasant to her, and shocked when he caught sight of Catey. He begged Brienne to let Jaime know, and tried to tell her that he had looked for her all these years, but her heart couldn’t bear it. She had made Tyrion promise that he wouldn’t mention them to Jaime.

But Brienne knew that the youngest Lannister had broken his word when she walked into the sitting area and saw Jaime Lannister sitting with his daughter, having a tea party. Of all the scenarios she had imagined running into him, this was not one of them.

He looked different than when she had seen him last, but she would recognize his frame anywhere. His hair was shorter, and he had a beard that sported more salt and pepper than she remembered. She noted the gloved hand covering the injuries he had received during their time together. She felt the tug of guilt over it.

And then he turned and looked at her with those green eyes that made a nightly appearance in her dreams.

Her brain short circuited for a minute, and all she could say was his name. Finally, she was able to ask him why he was there. And that smirk she loved to hate appeared on his face. Yes, they did have a lot to talk about, but she didn’t know if she could form words around him.

“This is my new friend Jaime, Mommy! We’re having a tea party! Do you want to join us?”

Jaime didn’t take his eyes off her face while asking. “Yeah, Mommy, why don’t you join us?”

Brienne’s heart beat so fast it felt like it was going to explode. She wanted to run in the other direction, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“Sure, Catey, I will join you, but we can’t stay too long.” Brienne sat down across from Jaime, as far away as she could get. She didn’t meet his eyes, instead focusing on their daughter.

“You look good, Brienne,” he said softly, and she gave her customary scoff when receiving compliments.

“Mommy always looks good,” Catey said. “But she says I’m the beautifullest.”

Jaime smiled at the girl. “You are very beautiful. You have your mother’s astonishing eyes. She’s very beautiful too.”

Catey nodded. “I know, but mommy doesn’t believe people when they say so.”

“I know, she’s always been like that.” Brienne could feel Jaime’s eyes on her, but she made herself busy instead by pouring make believe tea into the cups. She could feel from the heat on her face that she was in full blush at his words.

“Did you already know my mommy before?” Catey asked, and Brienne held her breath. She wondered if Jaime would share the truth with her daughter now, or give her a chance to explain later.

“I sure did, we were best friends.”

“What happened? Did you get in a fight?” Catey looked up at him with wide eyes. Brienne desperately wanted to know Jaime’s answer too.

“No, we didn’t. Some mean people lied to her and to me and we both thought we didn’t want to be…friends…anymore.”

Brienne met his eyes at those words. She was surprised to see that he was staring at her, rather than looking at Catey will talking to her. He had tears in his bright green eyes, and something more, something that was pleading with her to believe him.

“L…L...Lied?” she stammered.

Jaime reached out and grabbed her hand. “Absolutely lied, Brienne.”

She didn’t know what to think. All these years she had been angry. Angry at Jaime. Angry at the Lannisters. And the reasons for her anger weren’t even true? And why was she getting butterflies from Jaime’s touch. It seemed that when she told herself that she was over him, that was also a lie.

“So are you here to be friends again?”

Brienne looked down at her daughter, who was gazing up at Jaime expectantly.

Jaime smiled at her. Gods, that smile still did Brienne in. “I hope so, sweetling, I hope so.”

“Well, then, a plain old dumb tea party won’t do. You have to come for dinner! Momma’s making spaghetti and meatballs, my favorite!”

“What a coincidence, that’s my favorite too! I would be happy to come to dinner, if it’s okay with your mom.”

Two sets of eyes bore on her face, and Brienne was helpless to resist.

“Sure, dinner is in an hour,” she said. “But we really have to be going to get ready and start cooking.” _And make sure the cottage is presentable, and take a shower, and try to stop hyperventilating._

Jaime smiled and her and promised to be there at the appointed time. She gave him directions, and it wasn’t until she was standing up to leave that she realized that he still had hold of her hand. She blushed as she pulled it from him and he winked at her before hurried Catey out the door.

Throwing dinner on the stove, Brienne rushed to grab clothes and laundry off the floor and shove them in the closet. She turned a cartoon on the TV for Catey and hopped in the shower. She barely had time to get out and don a t-shirt and pants before she heard a knock on the door. She cursed herself for not being like a normal girl and caring much about doing her hair and makeup, but she told herself that this was Jaime and he would probably jape her anyway if she did.

She opened the door and smiled at Jaime standing there, his hair filling with snow. “Please let me in, I wasn’t built to withstand this weather.”

Brienne laughed and waved him inside. He shook off the snow and she flushed when he slowly looked her up and down. His eyes darkened when they landed on her shirt and he groaned.

“Gods, wench, I’m really trying to be a gentleman here and take things very slowly and not rush anything until we have an important conversation, but you are making it really difficult for me in that shirt.”

Brienne looked down and gasped. In her haste to get dressed, she hadn’t realized that she was wet enough still from her shower to make her T-shirt see through. She blushed – either from embarrassment or the heated look Jaime was giving her, she couldn’t tell – and grabbed a sweater from the coat tree and put it on quickly.

“I’m sorry, Jaime. Why don’t you come in and have a seat on the couch while I get dinner on? Catey is just putting on her pajamas and she will be right out.”

Jaime started walking forward, studying the small cottage, when Brienne noticed that he was carrying his suitcase. He saw her confused look and flashed his wicked grin.

“The inn was booked up for the night because of the snow storm, so I figured you wouldn’t mind if I offered up my room to someone else and crashed here…on the couch of course,” Jaime said, raising an eyebrow at the love seat that they both knew would be too small for him.

“Yay! Sleepover!” Catey said, bounding into the room in her warmest pajamas. As the two of them started making plans for the evening, Brienne knew that she was stuck. Jaime Lannister was staying the night in her cottage. And unless he wanted to sleep with his feet hanging off the couch, she would probably have to offer him her bed.

The snow storm may be freezing the world outside her cottage, but it was a conspirator in the melting of the ice walls she had built around her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed. Next chapter probably won't be for another day or two. The next chapter is all about their backstory, I PROMISE.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Storytime with Catey reveals Jaime and Brienne's tragic past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took a little bit longer. I had Christmas-y things to do and then I got a cold. Due to said cold, I apologize for any errors in this chapter! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy all the angsty fluff feels!

Jaime couldn’t remember the last time he had so much fun at a dinner. He loved his daughter more with every moment that passed. And he had never stopped loving Brienne. She had a maturity about her now that she didn’t have before.

His heart clenched at all the family dinners he had missed over the years. All the time he could have spent with Brienne and Catey.

But he was determined to not miss any more.

From the moment Brienne sat down at the tea party with him and Catey earlier (and he noticed there was no ring on her finger), he made a vow to himself that he would do everything it took to become part of their lives. He hoped he could find away to reconcile with Brienne.

He listened with rapt attention as Catey told him all about her school and friends over their meal of spaghetti. Jaime and Brienne shared smiles over the girl’s enthusiasm. This is how it should be. Family.

After dinner, he and Catey washed the dishes while Brienne popped popcorn so they could string it together to decorate the Christmas tree that sat in the living room. A feeling of peace and contentment settled in Jaime’s chest, and he never wanted it to go away.

As they were stringing the popcorn, they took turns telling stories. Brienne told one of her favorite tales from history – The Bear and the Maiden Fair. He had heard her tell it before, around a campfire. He could tell from the way Catey filled in words here and there that this was a story told often.

Catey told the story about Santa and elves, clear that her mind was on Christmas. She subtly worked in gift suggestions, and when Brienne winked at him over her head, his heart stopped for a moment.

When it was his turn, two beautiful pairs of blue eyes looked at him expectantly.

“This is the story of the brave and noble park ranger who saved the stupid entitled brat and changed him forever,” Jaime started.

“That sounds like mommy,” Catey boasted.

“Yes, sweetling, this park ranger was exactly like your mommy. In fact, she was a beautiful blonde warrior with the bluest of eyes.”

Catey giggled and looked at Brienne.

“And what did the brat look like?” she asked.

“Well, he had green eyes. And back then, he didn’t have a beard and unkempt hair. Most people called him handsome.”

“He sounds kind of like you, Jaime,” Catey said.

“He does. So for the purposes of this story, we will call him Jaime. And the park ranger, Brienne.”

“Jaime…” Brienne whispered, and he just gave her a sad smile. “Hush, wench, let me tell the story.”

Brienne frowned at him and turned her attention to the popcorn, refusing to meet his eyes as he told his tale.

“Now, Brienne and Jaime did not get along at first. Brienne was very strict about park rules and Jaime thought he was invincible and was always pushing the safety rules to see what he could get away with.”

“He doesn’t sound very smart. You should always be safe, or you can be hurt,” Catey said.

Jaime threw his head back and laughed. “Like mother, like daughter, I can see. Yes, sweetling, you are right. He was very foolish.”

He heard Brienne cough to cover a laugh. Good, she was listening.

“Now, no more interrupting ladies…if you want me to tell the story.”

Catey giggled again and Brienne was biting back a smile. Gods, he could get used to this.

“Now foolish Jaime was always pushing the limits of safety in the National Park, climbing things and jumping off them, exploring areas that weren’t meant for humans. Brienne had to rescue him often. He annoyed her to no end. But secretly she liked him because it kept her job interesting.”

Brienne snorted at that, and he grinned at her.

“Eventually Jaime’s father made a generous donation to the parks system so he would have a guide on his adventures, because he was so worried about losing his heir.”

“What’s an heir?” Catey asked.

“Um, the oldest child that would get all the money and carry on the family name once he died.”

“That’s kind of sad to be thinking about when you’re going to die all the time.”

Jaime just blinked at her. How could someone so young be so wise?

“It really is sad, you’re right. So anyway, Brienne now was forced to go on adventures with Jaime because her boss Catelyn made her.”

“Catelyn like me!”

“Yes, sweetling,” Jaime laughed.

“Oops, sorry I interrupted again.”

“That’s okay, honey. We haven’t gotten to the best parts yet. So Brienne and Jaime went on adventures all over the National Park. All that traveling together made them become friends. They started hanging out even when they weren’t in the park. They were practically inseparable. What they did not admit to each other was that they were falling in love.”

Jaime looked over at Brienne and saw her shoulders slump as she concentrated on her popcorn. He knew hearing all this would be hard on her, but he needed her to hear it all, including what happened to make her leave.

“One freezing winter day, they finally admitted how much they loved each other. And they uh…had a slumber party together. Jaime was trying to figure out a way to ask her to marry him. Catelyn called Brienne and said that her two daughters were missing somewhere in the parks. Jaime was with Brienne and the two of them made a vow to Catelyn that they would find her daughters. Brienne insisted that Jaime should stay home, that it wasn’t his job to help her, but he refused to listen.”

Brienne raised her head and looked up at him with tears in her eyes, opening her mouth to object to something in the story, but he raised his hand to quiet her.

“Nothing she could have done or said would have kept him home that day, although she would always blame herself for it. And others blame her too. But he was going with her. There was never any question.”

The tears started flowing down Brienne’s face in force now. He longed to pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he wasn’t sure if she would accept that from him.

“They searched most of the day, only finding a few hints of the girls’ tracks through the wilderness. Late in the afternoon, they were too far to make it back to base for the night, and a storm was rolling in. There was a cabin a few miles away, so they decided they should make for it instead of camping in place.”

“She decided…” Brienne mumbled.

“THEY decided,” he corrected.

Brienne just continued crying, ignoring his gaze pleading with her to look at him.

“They walked in the heavy snow, those few miles taking hours longer because they couldn’t see anything and could barely move their feet. Jaime lost a glove and kept his hand warm the best he could, but they both knew that frost bite was setting in.”

Catey was listening to the story with rapt eyes, occasionally sneaking glances at Jaime’s hand that was covered with a glove.

“When they finally arrived at the cabin, Jaime was in a terrible condition, close to hypothermia and barely coherent. Brienne managed to keep him alive that night and call for help in the morning. When the rescue team took him away, she promised him that she would come to him after fulfilling their promise to Catelyn on both of their behalf. He didn’t know that when the vehicle’s door closed, that would be the last time he saw her for six years.”

“That’s so sad,” Catey said, tears in her own eyes. She finally noticed her mother crying and crawled into Brienne’s lap. “Right, Mamma?”

Brienne nodded. “Yes, it is very sad, sweetling.”

“Sad indeed. When Jaime awoke in the hospital, Brienne was nowhere to be found. Thinking she was still out in the wilderness, he tried to get out of his sick bed to help her. His father said that she had found the Stark girls and had left town because she received a handsome reward and didn’t need his friendship or money anymore.”

“That wasn’t true, I know it!” Catey yelled, and Brienne hugged the girl tighter.

“Jaime knew that too, and he tried to get out of bed to search for Brienne, but he was too weak. His brother came to visit him and told him what really happened.”

Brienne stiffened, but Catey didn’t notice, because she was leaning forward, eager to hear the rest of the story.

“Brienne found the girls, but did not leave town right away. Instead she came to the hospital to see Jaime. But his father would not let her in. He lied to Brienne, telling her that Jaime blamed her for his injuries. You see, Jaime had lost the use of several fingers on his left hand, and his father thought that meant he was worth less than when he was whole.”

“He sounds mean.”

“He’s very mean, sweetling. He told Brienne that Jaime never wanted to see her again, and that the family would sue her for reckless endangerment if she came anywhere near the family again. Brienne’s heart must have been broken because she loved Jaime, and he loved her. She left town and was never heard from since. She never knew that Jaime’s dad had lied. That Jaime loved her and searched desperately for her for years. That he never stopped loving her. That every day without her was sad and empty.”

 Brienne started crying again. “Jaime…I…”

“So what happened next?” Catey asked eagerly. Jaime blinked. He had been so focused on Brienne and their story that he almost forgot she was there.

“The same brother who told him the truth ran into Brienne by chance one day. He convinced Jaime to take a vacation at an inn in the middle of nowhere.”

“A brother who breaks promises,” Brienne muttered, and Jaime flashed a grin at her.

“Skirted the boundaries of that promise, and for good reason, wench,” he teased. She gave him a tentative smile and he felt weight lifted off his shoulders. He knew she had a lot of new information to process, but she wasn’t shutting down. A good sign.

“He came to the inn and was still so sad about his lost love that he spent days in his room. He didn’t find her until the very last day. And when he did, he learned that when she left town, she took something else that was special with her.”

“What?” Catey whispered.

Jaime’s eyes met Brienne’s, asking permission to continue the story. His heart started beating faster when she nodded.

“A daughter.”

Catey’s eyes widened and she went back and forth in staring between her mother and Jaime. “So how does the story end?” Her small voice trembled.

He didn’t know how to answer her question, because they were in the middle of the story’s ending right now…or maybe it was just the beginning of it. Brienne saved him by announcing that it was bedtime and he would finish the story for her in the morning.

In the morning. That told him that Brienne was as determined as he was to work out what they needed to as soon as possible.

He overheard his ladies talk as Brienne tucked Catey in. “Mamma…is Jaime my daddy?”

He held his breath waiting for her answer.

“Yes, my love, he is.”

Jaime let out his breath and all the tension he had been holding in for six years slowly drained from his body. He knew Brienne Tarth like no one else. She was the most honorable person in the world. And she would never acknowledge that Jaime was Catey’s father unless she fully intended to let them be part of their lives.

He and Brienne had a lot to talk about, but the next chapter of their story had begun. While Brienne was singing their daughter a bedtime song, he pulled out his phone and called his brother to handle a few things back home for him. He would be staying here for a while.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime and Brienne finally talk...and have that slumber party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to finish this. Be prepared - there be fluff ahead.

Brienne walked into the room to see Jaime cursing and throwing his phone. She didn’t think he was angry at her for everything that happened to them so long ago, but his current mood gave her some doubts.

Did he blame her for keeping his daughter from him? Brienne knew that it wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t his fault either. But when they were so close to reconciling, everything felt so much more fragile. Like one thing could shatter it.

“Jaime?”

He stopped angrily pacing the room and looked at her. She was relieved to see some of the tension release from his body at the sight of her. “What’s wrong?”

Jaime glared at the phone that had smashed into the wall, as if it was the source off all the world’s evils. “He knew, Brienne. He fucking knew.”

“Who knew what?”

“My father.  I was just on the phone with Tyrion, trying to settle things so that I could take some time off to be here with you. But now I’m done. For good. I will not be part of Tywin Lannister’s family anymore.”

Brienne crossed the room and took his hand in one of hers, and put the other on his cheek, something that had always calmed him in the past.

“Whoa, let’s slow down.”

“Slow down? You mean I was wrong in working it out to be here with you and Catey?” Apparently, Jaime was as worried about the fragility of their circumstances as much as she was.

“Of course, you are welcome here, for as long as you like…but we will talk about that later. Let’s start with what’s going on with your father.”

“I don’t want to talk about him. He sucks. I want to talk about what you just said. When you say I can stay as long as I like…what if I want to stay forever?”

“Jaime…” she dropped her hands from him and started to step back, but he grabbed her by the waist and stopped her retreat. Brienne’s heart pounded in her chest. They really were going to have this conversation, six years in the making.

“I’m serious, Brienne. Now that I’ve found you two, both of you, I’m not planning on letting you go. I’m staying here…if you will have me.”

Brienne stared into his eyes, and they were burning with a sincerity. After all this time – could they go back to where they had left off? Especially now with a kid in the mix. But standing there, with Jaime’s arm around her waist just as she dreamed of over the years, she believed anything was possible.

“Of course, I’ll have you, Jaime.”

She still had a million questions for him, but they all left her mind when he leaned forward and captured her lips. In that moment, all the years between them melted away, and they were just Jaime and Brienne again.

All too quickly, they had to pull away to gather their breath.

“I’m glad you said yes, I just quit my job, so I needed a place to stay. If you don’t mind putting up with a homeless vagabond,” he teased. “Maybe I will grow out my beard and hair even more, to complete the look.”

“You quit your job? Why?”

Jaime sighed and sat down on the couch. “My father knew about Catey. All these years, and he didn’t tell me I had a daughter.”

Brienne gasped and sat next to him. “How did he know?”

Jaime shrugged. “Who knows? Tywin Lannister has little spies everywhere. Tyrion just told me that my father is on a rampage that my brother steered me in this direction.”

Tears filled Brienne’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Jaime. About your father…about everything. I should have found a way to contact you. I should have known that they were lying about you never wanting to see me again.”

Jaime pulled her into his arms. “Hush Brienne, you have nothing to be sorry for. My asshole father is all to blame here. Tywin still blames you for what happened with my hand, and he thinks I'm not ready to be a father yet. Mostly he just wants to pick when and who I marry. He wants to control every aspect of my life, including who I'm allowed to love. And that’s why I quit. I want nothing more to do with him or any of the Lannisters…except for maybe my brother.”

Brienne pulled back a little. “But Jaime, I can’t be the reason you lose your family.”

“You are my family, Brienne. You and Catey. I love you. Both of you.”

She could feel tears pooling in her eyes as she whispered words of love back to him before her lips were otherwise occupied with his.

**

“Daddy…Daddy…DADDY!!!”

Jaime woke up warm and happy, wrapped around Brienne. It took him a moment to realize that the little voice was talking to him.

“Catey?”

The little girl sat on the end of the bed, bouncing up and down with anticipation. “Do you know how to make pancakes? My friend’s daddy can flip pancakes real good. Can you?”

Jaime grinned at her excitement. “Well, I can’t say that I’ve tried, but I’m willing to give it a shot.” Just then he realized his predicament. He was totally naked with Brienne under this blanket. He didn’t want to scar his daughter for life on her first full day of having a father.

Catey noticed the concerned look on his face.

“Was I not supposed to call you daddy, yet? That’s what my friends all call theirs. But I can call you Jaime again if you want.”

“No, sweetling, I love to hear you call me daddy. It makes me so happy.”

Catey giggled. “Okay, Daddy. But why did you look so worried?”

Brienne peeked her blonde head out of the blankets and smiled at their daughter. “Daddy isn’t used to having so many girls around. I think he would like a moment of privacy to get dressed.”

“Oh, okay, mommy. Are you coming too, then?”

Jaime grinned down at Brienne, wondering how she was going to get out of this one, since she was very naked too.”

“Give mommy a minute, honey, I have very stinky breath and need to brush my teeth or I will kill all the plants in the kitchen.”

Catey giggled again, but nodded and skipped from the room. “I will get blueberries to add to the pancakes, Daddy!”

Brienne laughed at Jaime as rushed out of the bed to throw some clothes on. “Stop laughing at me, wife. We need to remember to put something on…after…you know…in the future.”

“Wife? I don’t remember sneaking out to the septon after we made love for the first time in six years last night.”

“I plan on finding one as quickly as possible.”

“That has got to be the worst proposal I ever received. You could add a little romance to it.”

“Have you received many proposals, milady?”

“A few…”

Jaime sputtered for a moment. He had been so focused on reconciling with Brienne he hadn’t thought that he might have been close to losing her to another.

“Others?” He growled as he pulled her out of the bed to stand next to him.

“A few older men my father tried to set me up with before he passed away.”

“So there was no one you were interested in while we were apart?”

Brienne smiled over his jealousy and gave him a kiss. “There is no one for me but you.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “And what about you? You can’t pretend that there probably weren’t others.”

“No one. There is no one like you, only you.”

They started to kiss passionately again when a knock sounded on the door. “Daddy! Are you done putting your clothes on and smooching mamma? I’m hungry!”

Jaime’s eyes widened. “Oh my gods, she knows.”

“She’s a smart girl.”

“She get’s it from me,” they both said simultaneously before scoffing at each other and heading down to enjoy the best pancake breakfast either had in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Drop me a comment and let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I will post chapter two tomorrow! Drop me a comment because they make me happy. :) Happy writers equal writing writers.


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